explore sources The Magna Carta

Explore sources

The Magna Carta

Civic Literacy

Written in 1215, the Magna Carta was an agreement between King John I and the powerful barons who owned the land and had challenged his rule. In it, the King was forced to agree to a series of concessions concerning the rights of the community against the King, and dealing with matters such as the reform

of law and justice, trade, the freedom of the Church and the behaviour of

royal officials.These protections formed the basis of British human rights that were gradually extended to all citizens over the centuries. The Magna Carta also established a Council of Barons to enforce it, which paved the way to an independent parliament. Here is the final part of the charter.

We [the King] make and grant to [the barons] the following security: that the barons may elect at their pleasure twentyfive barons from the realm, who ought, with all their strength, to observe, maintain the peace and privileges which we have granted to them. In such wise that1 if we, or our justice, or our bailiffs2, or any one of our servants shall have transgressed against any one in any respect, or shall have broken one of the articles of peace or security, and our transgression shall have been shown to four barons of the aforesaid3 twenty-five: those four barons shall come to us, and shall ask us to cause that error to be amended4 without delay. And if we do not amend that error, the aforesaid four barons shall refer the matter to the remainder of the twenty-five barons who shall oppress us in every way in their power, – namely, by taking our castles, lands and possessions. Saving the persons of ourselves, our queen and our children. Wherefore we will and firmly decree that the English church shall be free, and that the subjects of our realm shall have and hold all the aforesaid liberties, rights and concessions, duly and in peace, freely and quietly, fully and entirely, for themselves and their heirs from us and our heirs, in all matters and in all places, forever, as has been said. Given through our hand, in the plain called Runnymede, on the fifteenth day of June, in the seventeenth year of our reign.

1. In such wise that_in modo tale che (Here ‘wise’ is roughly equivalent to modern ‘way’ or ‘ways’.) 2. bailiffs _ ufficiali giudiziari 3. aforesaid _ suddetti 4. to be amended _ essere riparato ▲ The signing of the Magna Carta by King John I in 1215.

CHECK IN

1. Read the text and find out a. how many representatives the barons can elect. b. what the function of such representatives is. c. who will report the king about any transgression of the articles. d. what will happen in that case. e. what the King risks if he does not amend the error. f. what subjects of the realm will be granted. 2. Find the words/expressions that have a meaning similar to the following: 1. kingdom 2. force 3. so that 4. mistake 5. freedoms 6. therefore

3. Watch the video “Magna Carta and the emergence of Parliament” and answer the questions. 1. Who/What was the cause of the barons’ anger? 2. Who was Robert Fitzwalter? 3. Who else was against King John?

Conflicts outside and inside Britain

The Kings of England still had territories in France, which were claimed by the French. A series of conflicts between England and France broke out in 1337 – known as the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453), that ended with the loss of all English possessions in France. The end of the Middle Ages in English history corresponds with the end of the dynastic conflict known as the Wars of the Roses (1455-85), a dispute between two rival noble families and their supporters about the royal succession. The name comes from the emblems of the two sides, the red rose of the House of Lancaster and the white rose of the HouseofYork. In the final battle at Bosworth (1485), the Yorkist King Richard III was defeated by the Lancastrian Henry Tudor, who was then crowned Henry VII (1457-1509). The final resolution of the conflict, however, was Henry’s marriage to Elizabeth of York, and the founding of the Tudor dynasty in 1486.